FTSE seen falling

By IBT Staff Reporter On 08/27/10 AT 6:03 AM

The FTSE 100 index is seen falling on Friday, retreating after gains in the previous session, as investors awaited GDP releases from both the UK and the United States and a major speech by Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke.

The UK blue-chip index looks set to shed 17 to 19 points, or as much as 0.4 percent, according to financial bookmakers, after it closed up 46.44 points, or 0.9 percent, at 5,155.84 on Thursday.

The Dow closed below 10,000 on Thursday, but on Friday, the MSCI Asia stock index outside Japan was flat. Japan's Nikkei rose 1 percent, boosted by short-covering after hopes emerged for possible measures from Japanese authorities to stem the yen's rise, though caution remained on whether these would be effective.

In terms of domestic economic data, the second release of second-quarter GDP is due at 9:30 a.m., as are preliminary second-quarter business investment figures.

On the other side of the Atlantic, U.S. second-quarter preliminary GDP is due at 1230 GMT, the final reading of the August Reuters/University of Michigan consumer sentiment survey is due at 2:55 p.m., and Bernanke will speak in Jackson Hole at 3:00 p.m.

Bernanke is likely to signal his views about the uncertain prospects for the world's biggest economy but probably will not offer many clues on whether the U.S. central bank will pump more cash to keep the recovery going.